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The Sunflower Reports

For the majority of the past three decades Al and Beth Liggett have been doing what most of us only dream about--cruising. Since 1966 they've sailed over 145,000 miles, circumnavigating two-and-a-half times (once westabout and once eastabout).For the last 29 years the Liggetts have been cruising aboard Sunflower, a 42-foot Robert Perry design which they commissioned. In 1990 Al and Beth received the prestigious "Seven Seas" award from the Seven Seas Cruising Association, commending them for their circumnavigations and outstanding contributions to the cruising community.

To view logs select a date below:

Bio	An introduction to Al, Beth, and Sunflower.
12 Feb 08	Al & Beth join other cruisers to volunteer at the Langkawi International Regatta.
17 Jan 08	Adventures hauling out in Ratanachai, a fishing boatyard in Phuket, Thailand.
16 Dec 07	Recollections of Thanksgiving with the cruising "family". Paths cross and old cruising friends are reunited.
6 Dec 07	It's good to be home! Working out gremlins while installing new wind instruments, outboard motor, and GPS.
22 Nov 07	Returning home to Sunflower after 6 months away. Lessons were learned after the last long absence - how did she fare this time?
9 Nov 07	We asked the SetSailors to write about visibility. The Liggetts have some good tips for making sure Sunflower is seen at anchor as well as at sea.
10 Aug 07	Cruising (of a different sort) on the Ohio River.
13 July 07	Unforgettable tales of problematic anchoring from around the world.
18 June 07	Preparing to leave Sunflower again for six months of Stateside traveling. After last year's mold disaster, the Liggetts are taking different steps this year.
19 April 07	At our request, Al & Beth write about using WiFi, Skype, and cell phone service while cruising in SE Asia.
18 April 07	The Liggetts are pleasantly surprised with the new Tanjong City Marina in the middle of Penang, Malaysia.
4 April 07	New year is getting old - suffering from gear gremlins in Phuket. (This article was written in mid-February and should have appeared before the previous - but due to more gremlins was not received by SetSail until recently.)
5 March 07	Al & Beth report on the colorful Chinese New Year's celebrations in Langkawi and Penang - and reflect on other Chinese New Years they've spent in past decades of cruising throughout Asia.
21 Feb 07	Why don't more cruisers check out the Philippines? A reader poses this question to the Liggetts, which leads to a discussion of the pros and cons.
18 Jan 07	We asked the Liggetts to write about their experience with "foulies".
4 Jan 07	Langkawi Excitement: Rallies, boat shows, celebrations and water spouts!
29 Nov 06	Fools for tools: We asked the Liggetts to write about their favorite tools.
8 Nov 06	Returning to find Sunflower black with mold and mildew.
25 Oct 06	We asked all the SetSail contributors to write about keeping up with the news while cruising.
14 Oct 06	The coup in Thailand: Traveling Stateside, the Liggetts struggle to find news.
1 Oct 06	Sunflower's cruising home base is Malaysia, a Muslim country. When the anniversary of Sept. 11 occurred, we asked the Liggetts to reflect on whether or not the environment for cruisers has changed in SE Asia.
30 June 06	How Beth gets the laundry done without washing machine or watermaker.
16 May 06	How do you secure a boat that you're going to leave alone in the tropics for six months?
28 Mar 06	Keeping track of things.
16 Mar 06	How Al and Beth keep Sunflower well ventilated down below.
26 Dec 05	A report on Thailand and Malaysia one year after the tsunami.
20 DEC 05	At the prompting of a SetSail reader, Beth digs out the old logs to write about their first ocean passage in the 1960s.
1 DEC 05	Suns and Moons: The Liggetts cross paths with fellow longtime SetSail reporters George & Merima of Moonshadow.
9 Nov 05	To your health! The Liggetts fill us in on how they take care of medical issues while cruising in Southeast Asia.
3 Nov 05	Al & Beth re-visit some of their favorite anchorages between Phuket and Langkawi. They are surprised by the magnitude of change after just a few years.
20 Oct 05	We asked the Liggetts to write about how they take care of their sails.
13 July 05	In answering our questions about watch keeping, the Liggetts painted a picture of their recent 15-day passage from Chagos to Langkawi.
7 July 05	Back to civilization - Kuah, Langkawi, Malaysia.
5 June 05	Celebrating Sunflower's 29th birthday, surprise gifts from a passing ship, and encounters with illegal fishermen in Chagos.
3 June 05	The joys of reef walking, as well as maintenance and health issues among the cruising community in Chagos.
18 May 05	Self-sufficiency in Chagos...Fishing and growing sprouts on board.
29 April 05	Return to the magic.
11 April 05	Arrival in Chagos...Problems in Paradise.
22 March 05	How the after-effect of the tsunamis continues to influence cruising in Southeast Asia.
22 March 05	Third passage to Addu in the Maldives.
10 March 05	Anchoring stories.
24 Feb 05	Goodbye for Now: The Liggetts depart for Chagos, one of the last places on the planet without Internet cafes, so we may not hear from them until July.
11 Feb 05	A Year in Review...sorta late.
27 Jan 05	Al and Beth (along with a lot of other yachties) have been helping out at "Waves of Mercy", a local relief organization that has sprung up to help communities in Malaysia and Indonesia.
19 Jan 05	We had some questions for Al and Beth about anchoring details in light of the tsunamis.
1 Jan 05	More on yacht rescue efforts, and how various marinas were affected by the tsunamis.
31 Dec 04	The tsunamis (photo captions added Jan. 7).
26 Nov 04	How to force-fit a turkey into a boat-sized oven...and other challenges involved in preparing Thanksgiving dinner aboard Sunflower while still hauled out.
16 Nov 04	Mother of All Haul-Outs, Part 2: Sunflower's Identity Crisis.
22 Oct 04	Mother of All Haul-Outs, Part 1: Living in shrink-wrapped splendor.
26 July 04	Interesting cruising grounds lead to some interesting mistakes (with sometimes wonderful results).
16 July 04	Mistakes - part of the "character building" process that cruisers are constantly going through.
16 June 04	Painting and varnishing tips.
28 May 04	Al and Beth share their thoughts on safety at sea for "Senior" sailors.
29 March 04	How Beth and Al dealt with an alarming late-night boarding by mysterious Andaman officials.
18 March 04	Lessons learned from a close encounter with a rock.
11 March 04	Welcome back to the Andamans.
27 Feb 04	The jib set.
20 Feb 04	While visiting multicultural Southeast Asia, Al and Beth have gotten to enjoy a whole string of festive holidays, from Ramadan in October, to the Festival of Lights, Christmas, and then the Chinese New Year in late January.
29 Jan 04	You never know when you set out on a short trip just what it might turn into.
17 Jan 04	Getting connected - The science of using cell phones on board.
19 Dec 03	Memories of Christmas aboard.
26 Nov 03	Answering a reader's questions about hauling out in Langkawi.
13 Nov 03	Al and Beth report on another spectacular Langkawi anchorage, this one a little closer to town.
07 Oct 03	Langkawi Anchorages - Taking a Break at the Fjord
19 Sept 03	You've got mail! How Al and Beth keep up with mail and bills while they're out cruising.
4 Sept 03	"Work Creep."
2 Aug 03	Part two: The rest of the saga of replacing the engine.
16 July 03	The Year of the Boat, part one: The New Engine.
25 June 03	April Fool's awning.
11 June 03	Running the "Trap Line" of family and friends.
31 May 03	How they prepared Sunflower for a 5-month absence, and how she fared.
2 May 03	The Liggetts share some cautionary tales about propane, and review their new Galley Maid stove.
28 Mar 03	Lots of fun to be had at the inaugural Langkawi International Regatta.
20 Jan 03	On mast boots and chain plates.
11 Dec 02	The Liggetts leave Sunflower parked in Malaysia, and fly to France to join friends aboard a canal boat.
25 Nov 02	Al and Beth write about cruising with SCUBA gear - which they have only used twice during emergencies after hundreds of thousands of sea miles.
15 Nov 02	Nature's Treasures: A guide to the plethora of rare and wonderful fauna Al and Beth encountered at Chagos.
6 Nov 02	Answering a reader's questions about how they get weather data.
23 Sept 02	Spending any length of time in Chagos will turn anyone into a fisherman...because it's always fun to go fishing when you KNOW you're going to catch something!
13 Sept 02	Fun and Games...Put a bunch of yachties together, and someone is sure to come up with something fun to do...other than fishing!
30 Aug 02	Chagos never lacks for phenomenal entertainment - sunsets, the Green Flash, moonbows, and more.
21 Aug 02	In response to a reader's question about how to "get started" with cruising, Beth and Al share stories about their early cruising days.
9 Aug 02	This week Al and Beth talk about how they finance their cruising lifestyle.
2 Aug 02	Vegetables...Strategies to make veggies last longer than you would think possible, plus tips for growing your own onboard garden.
26 July 02	Treats and Treatments...Beth wrote this article June 1 in Chagos, but just now got the e-mail access to send it to us. Find out her secrets for preserving eggs and fruit for months without refrigeration.
18 July 02	Chagos Then and Now...Although Al and Beth visited the remote Chagoes archipelago only two years ago, this year things had already changed a lot.
10 July 02	After five months in internet-free Chagos, the Liggetts have returned.
24 April 02	Checking in from Chagos.
15 March 02	What do you do when you're in the middle of the Bay of Bengal, with only a machete for self-defense, and you're approached by a suspicious fishing boat? Find out how Al and Beth handled this situation, plus other highlights of the passage.
08 March 02	This year's passage from Thailand to the Maldives is completely different from the trip two years ago.
16 February 02	Provisioning involves more than just food.
24 January 02	Preparing to pay another visit to the isolated Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean, the Liggetts are in the throes of provisioning.
18 January 02	A tale of two EPIRBs.
11 January 02	The Liggetts write about their life raft, why they have one now, and why they didn't have one on their first boat.
31 December 01	Beth answers SetSail's questions about how they would handle a man-overboard situation.
25 December 01	Al and Beth reminisce with their cruising friends in Malaysia about memorable Christmases past at exotic locales around the world.
15 December 01	Propellors, paint, and patience.
08 December 01	A guide to hauling out in Souteast Asia (expenses, locations, and other considerations).
30 November 01	How the cruisers in Malaysia celebrated Thanksgiving this year.
17 November 01	A photo essay of fixing Sunflower's damaged keel while hauled out at the Rebak Marina in Langkawi, Malaysia.
10 November 01	Sunflower has been a veritable ark over the years, wth the variety of birds from around the world that have caught a ride.
1 November 01	Beth and Al are pleasantly surprised by a stowaway!
24 October 01	Penang re-visited. Al and Beth bypass the Junk Anchorage this time, and discover a quieter spot.
3 October 01	Sunflower gets a front-row seat at the international "SEA Games" in Malaysia.
12 October 01	Beth and Al reflect on waiting out the Gulf War aboard Sunflower in Turkey, and discuss how their fellow cruisers in Malaysia might or might not be changing plans right now.
05 October 01	After ripping the mainsail, Sunflower drops anchor in Juara Bay, where Al and Beth's cruiser-fairy-godmother friends volunteer to clean the bottom.
28 September 01	Sunflower goes aground, damaging her keel as well as Al & Beth's ribs.
14 September 01	Al and Beth's reaction to the the terrorist attacks. How the cruising community is dealing with the tragedy, and what it's like to be an American in Malaysia.
14 September 01	Varnishing and repainting in Chukai.
7 September 01	Al and Beth get acquainted with the lovely little town of Chukai on the Kenaman River.
31 August 01	The difference between being a deep thinker and thinking you're deep.
25 August 01	The Tioman Tango...Dealing with monsoon season on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia.
17 August 01	This week we've asked all our cruising contributors to write about reefing systems. Al and Beth share how their systems have changed over the years.
10 August 01	Getting the 25-year-old engine fixed in Singapore. Plus, how to deal with the thawing freezer, and why Beth had to watch her step.
03 August 01	Sailing into Singapore...Sunflower's engine fails in the busy Singapore Straits. Al and Beth discuss the tactics that got them safely into port.
28 July 01	The Pleasures of Penang...Excellent medical services, good computer shopping, and best of all...Great local food!
13 July 01	The saga of SARI TIMUR...A cautionary tale.
06 July 01	On their way to Singapore the Liggetts stop at Penang, an island with a fascinating culture and heritage but an awful "Junk Anchorage."
23 June 01	This week we've asked all our cruising contributors to write about their opinions of roller-furling systems. Al and Beth share their own experiences, plus those of their Australian racer-cruiser friends.
25 May 01	Find out how the Liggetts navigated through a huge fleet of fishing boats when Sunflower was blown out of a Thai anchorage on a recent squally evening.
18 May 01	Piracy is a concern in some parts of Southeast Asia. This week the Liggetts talk about their strategies for avoiding problems.
11 May 01	Painting the deck.
04 May 01	Beth walks us through the process of clearing out of the Andamans.
27 April 01	Al and Beth take part in India's exotic "Holi Festival". A colorful way to say goodbye to the Andaman Islands!
20 April 01	Sunflower heads to the Southern Andamans. Travel with the Liggetts island by island, and find out what they experienced - clear waters, lush forests, abundant wildlife in the water and on land....
06 April 01	In the tight-knit sailing community, the longer you are out cruising, the smaller the world gets.
30 March 01	Why the Liggetts have chosen not to travel with pets aboard.
24 March 01	Cruising in the fascinating Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. This week Al & Beth cover Port Blair and the Northern Islands.
16 March 01	Some countries are trickier than others when it comes to clearing in. Find out how Al & Beth fared when they arrived in the Andaman Islands.
09 March 01	Sunflower heads to the Andamans.
02 March 01	On the spur of the moment the Liggetts sign up for the Phuket - Phang Nga - Krabi Regatta. Things don't exactly go as planned.
23 February 01	Crusing isn't all palm trees and smooth sailing...Read about Al and Beth's Mini Disaster Day.
16 February 01	Al Liggett has been molding his own zincs in bonfires on beautiful beaches all over the world.
9 February 01	Rubber Water - A minor disaster with a valuable lesson.
2 February 01	The Budget Question - The Liggetts share some sage advice about how to keep cruising costs to a minimum.
26 January 01	The Visa Run - For sailors, dealing with Immigration officials in Thailand can be an adventure.
19 January 01	How cruisers in Thailand celebrated the holidays.
13 January 01	The Liggetts are startled by an uninvited guest.
Archives	Archived logs from Sunflower's earlier voyages throughout Southeast Asia.